A gallery wall is the most personal way to decorate, and the easiest to get wrong. These layouts and rules keep a farmhouse gallery wall looking collected, not cluttered.
Three layouts that always work
1. The grid
Two or four identical-size canvases in a square or row, 2 to 3 inches apart. Clean and calm, perfect above a sofa or bed. Example: two 18x24 in vertical pieces side by side.
2. The salon
Mixed sizes clustered around one large anchor piece. Start with a 24x36 in canvas slightly off center, then build out with 18x24 and 12x16 in pieces. Keep outer edges roughly aligned.
3. The staircase
Three to five pieces following the angle of the stairs, centers at 57 to 60 inches above each step.
Spacing rules
- Keep 2 to 3 inches between frames.
- Treat the whole group as one piece: it should be about two-thirds the width of the furniture below.
- Leave 8 to 10 inches above a sofa or console.
Mixing sizes and subjects
- Repeat one color across every piece, like the ochre in a landscape and the gold in a floral.
- Use one or two frame finishes, not three.
- Mix subjects: a landscape, a still life and an animal portrait feel more collected than three florals.
A balanced trio: Stormy Meadow, Cream Hydrangeas and Mother & Lamb.
The paper-template method
Cut kraft paper to the size of each canvas, mark the hanging point, and tape the templates to the wall. Live with it for a day, adjust, then drill through the paper.
Building a gallery wall saves you more: our gallery offer rewards multi-piece orders. Browse rustic wall decor or all framed canvas art, and see our sizing guide.